Baltimore's front office is 'poking around' for No. 5 starter types, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The undefeated Orioles have allowed just one run in each of their first four games, but now that Brian Matusz is on the 15-day disabled list with an intercostal strain, the team's rotation is thinner than expected.
Jeremy Guthrie, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman and Zach Britton have impressed so far and Brad Bergesen will start against the Tigers tomorrow. It's a promising, but inexperienced group, so it's not surprising to see that president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has some interest in adding depth.
Potentially available starters include Kevin Slowey, free agent Carlos Silva, Jo-Jo Reyes and former Orioles starter turned Braves minor leaguer Rodrigo Lopez. Though there's no indication that the Orioles are interested in those arms, their names could come up in conversation.
What could jays get for Jo-Jo or Litsch? Anything better than cash considerations or PTBNL?
based on his performance today they might, might get a framed autograph picture of an up and coming prospect.
I’m sure they’d go for the signed and framed mug of Mr. Manny Machado.
Slowey makes perfect sense.
haha slowey for hardy and harris. jk but slowey for gonzalez would be cool
I bet the O’s would love to trade Gonzalez for Slowey. Hell, Gonzalez, Gregg and Luke Scott for Slowey and something like Max Kepler-Rozycki and Carlos Guttierez.
Throw in the entire roster and farm system for Slowey and then your offer starts to make sense.
Not sure I get your point. The O’s farm system is pretty weak outside of Manny Machado, but if there are players the Twins would want from the O’s for someone like Slowey then I’m guessing it would be someone on the O’s Major League roster like a good reliever or two or a good bat. Unless you’re trying to to point out the Twins have payroll issues and therefore want young players? Slowey is pretty good but he ain’t all that.
I’m trying to point out your offer is insane, and no, the farm system isn’t “pretty weak outside of Manny Machado.”
The O’s minors were ranked 21st with Zach Britton in the system. Now that Britton has graduated, where does that put them?
When it comes down to it, Machado is, by far, the Orioles best position player prospect. And he’s starting the season where? A-ball?
Just making sure, you’ve actually seen the O’s minor leaguers play? Those lists are helpful, very helpful, and often (not always) well researched. The O’s minor leagues could go either way next season. We have a whole wave of young guys who if they continue to develop make our farm system look pretty nice. If they all bust, then the 21 rank is justified, but don’t be too confused, the ranking is a snapshot in time, not an indication of where the farm system will be in a year.
Way to avoid my question. And way to contradict yourself. First you say “throw in the entire farm roster” for Slowey, implying the O’s have nothing of value in the minors, and then you say the O’s system isn’t weak (outside of Machado). Which is it? Or do you have a quota for the word “insane”? Are you a Kevin Slowey fanboy or something?
Lol what?
Perhaps if any of the injuries were long term … but I don’t see them giving up much simply to cover a spot start or two when they have young, cheap, talented pitchers in need of innings.
Kenshin Kawakami makes perfect sense.
That’s an expensive spot starter … I think the O’s will pass.
I never said it would make perfect sense for the O’s.
Well, then I guess it “makes perfect sense” doesn’t apply if it’s a clear misfit for one side.
Trade Luke Scott for a good arm. He is awesome when he is hot, but cold too much. Like the guy, but we could use a starter more. Pie is good in Left, he is like another lead-off hitter in the bottom of the line-up. Get Reimold better defensively and get him up soon.
Your ideas are good on paper, but not in reality. Like on paper Reimold could be a 25 hr guy, but whose seen it yet?
Also Scott certainly wasn’t cold last year.
EDIT: also let me add, if you followed Reimold in the minors, he was a HUGE hot and cold guy. It was like Jeckyll and Hyde depending on the day.
jo jo reyes and a reliever for Luke Scott?
It’ll take a lot more than that to get Scott.
O’s Gm probably thinks that too, which is why he’s stil an Oriole..
Jo-Jo Reyes was a throw-in in the Yunel Escobar trade, hasn’t been much of a prospect in years, and has been below replacement level for his career. That’s enough to get an above average LF/DH under team control for another year?
Scott was one of the top in the league last season at HRs per at bat, I’m sure the Orioles are dying to dish him for a 5th starter.
I’m actually pretty happy McPhail makes that decision and not these forums.
EDIT: oh and forgot to add that Scott is cheap.
Been telling others this since they are so hell bent on trading Scott. The plan should be to wait, let Scott build value by playing LF so that our trade partners can expand to the NL. The only teams that would have interest are AL teams, and most AL teams have options at DH.
I actually think trading Scott would be a mistake unless the right deal walked in. I just do not see Pie as a full time option. Injury prone and he really is just an average hitter with below average power. Lets finish out the year and move Scott to DH, Reimold to LF and Pie as our 4th outfielder.
I hope this is more media speculation and kicking the tires for a deal than anything else. The staff is currently thin, but if Bergesen gets through tomorrow and Guthrie gets over his illness soon, I see little need to trade for anything. A spot start or two can be made by Hendrickson, Berken or Drese.
What you dont mention is that Guthrie is in the hospital right now because of pneumonia.
I think any poking around is really more for a spot start or two or three because of losing Matusz and Guthrie for an unknown amount of time. Adding a real MLB 5th starter is probably not what they want to do.
yeah, but they have Jakubauskas, Hendrickson, and VandenHurk in the minors (and two of the three are already on the 40-man). Patton too. unless they are looking for somebody to take a rotation spot long-term, a real upgrade over those guys (like Slowey), or they know something about Matusz’s injury that we don’t, I don’t know why they would sign someone for just a few spot starts. it sounds like lazy speculation from Rosenthal.
Well, with Matusz, at minimum we’re talking about needing a starter for 3 -4 starts. Perhaps even more. It’s a touch beyond “spot start” to me.
Banking on those guys in the minors is what would have happened in previous years when the emphasis was moreso on development and buying time, but under Showalter, I don’t think he’s the same mentality. I don’t think he’s willing to bail out on a months worth of starts, willing to take those losses, while hoping to break even, by slotting in a longman/spot starter arm. It’s probably a subtle difference in mindset that we Os fans have gotten used to too much lately, but in the old days, that was totally unacceptable.
Rodrigo Lopez had three seasons of 14+ wins for the Birds in the 2000s, on crappy teams. Bet you couldn’t name 15 pitchers in franchise history who could claim that.
You couldn’t name that because, the Orioles have never had such a bad run of losing as the last decade-plus.
I meant 3 14-win seasons at all, made more difficult for him by being on crappy teams. I counted them up once, and I know it wasn’t 15. Palmer, Cueller, McNally, McGregor, Flanny, Moose, Pappas, Barber, D. Martinez, Boddicker, Phoebus, Erickson. That’s 12.
No Dobson, Stone, Wilhelm, Turley, Bunker, Bedard, etc.
Fun fact, but who cares?
Rodrigo Lopez was a borderline terrible pitcher in 2005, but because he was lucky enough to win 15 games, we’re mentioning him in the same breath as Jim Palmer, Dave McNally and Mike Mussina?
Yeah, I would agree. It’s a fun fact, but considering the losing context it comes under, it’s more like an “un-fun fact”. Hehe.
But, I agree with you. For all it’s worth, I don’t think RoLo was a legit MLB starter, but he did have good seasons as an Oriole. That said, I never took WINS as a good stat to evaluate a pitcher in isolation from all the other stats. Even Steve Trachsel, another RoLo-like level pitcher (perhaps slightly better) had strong WIN totals. That’s just going to happen if he pitches with good support.
The article also doesn’t mention Duchsherer. I wonder if the front office is about ready to throw in the towel on him.
Which is why I think the article is as much media speculation as it is the Orioles’ legitimate interest adding another starter … Guthrie isn’t expected to be out long, Matusz was said to be out 3-6 weeks and Duke was slated to return April 21st.
It doesn’t add up …
I tend to be optimistic, even if the face of adversity, but I am near willing to bet that Duke doesn’t throw a major league pitch as an Oriole.
Well, I think I’ve been drinking the Orange Kool-Aid just enough to take that bet …
Also, keep in mind the O’s would still like to prevent Britton from getting a full year of service time. Perhaps they could squeeze a few starts out of him at some point this year and send Britton back down for a bit.
Nonetheless, I think he’ll throw a pitch, and at least make a start. Perhaps more.
If the O’s agree with your assessment then maybe they’ve been thinking about another 5th man even before Matusz got hurt. Of course this MLB Traderumors rumor could just be speculation like everyone’s saying.
They aren’t trading for anyone. Just play with what you have and hope for 3rd place in the division.
How about Alfredo Simon? He’s back from the DR and being stretched out as a starter, according to reports.
By the time he’s stretched out and ready to go, the current injuries should be resolved …
They could contact the Indians about Lefty David Huff he pitched very well in Spring but lost out by a hair to Josh Tomlin or the Indians will be looking to deal Mitch Talbot who pitched well after being picked up from the Rays last spring, he looks to be the odd man out when Alex White joins the team around the All Star Break anyways. Just a thought instead of going with a crippled up washed up cut by several team vet. eithier Huff or Talbot would be a nice fit.
Undefeated, man. The Orioles are going all-in!
Baltimore Vs Kansas City for the ALCS